Louis Siegrist was an excellent painter from this area who was one of many talented artists put to work on the projects of the WPA, a New Deal agency that did wonderful work in helping this country to recover from the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The Exposition was ahead of its time in representing cultural diversity in this country. The Siegrist posters, with their representation of Native American arts, are an example. Women artists were significantly represented; Dorothea Lange, who also lived hereabouts, put together a great documentary photography exhibit. The overall theme of the Exposition was "Pan-Pacific", so there was a strong representation of the many cultures of the Pacific Rim, Polynesia in particular.

The WPA poster projects in different regions across the country produced some magnificent work.